'Death Stranding 2' review: The most unusual blockbuster in gaming is back
BERLIN: Clumsy, monotonous, ingenious: These were common reactions to 2019's Death Stranding by cult Japanese developer Hideo Kojima, who rose to world fame through the Metal Gear Solid series.
It was an idiosyncratic adventure set in a dark world of tomorrow, in which players delivered packages and fought monsters accompanied by a soundtrack of ambient pop. It wasn't just a simple shoot-em-up, but often a test of patience.
Six years on, the sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach , has arrived and seamlessly continues the game's unusual concept. Sam Porter Bridges, the hero of the first game, is back.
Against the storm: Heavily laden, postman Sam makes his way through a ghost town.
New dangers threaten humanity and Sam sets out from his self-imposed exile once again to fight evil. The setting has changed though: instead of North America, he's now exploring parts of Mexico and Australia.
The problems, however, remain similar. Just like in his first adventure, he battles raging rivers, rugged terrain and snowstorms while enemies lurk everywhere. In On the Beach , the game world is the true hero of the story. Kojima and his developers tell the story of a future that has been almost destroyed by the undead.
A world of chaos and monsters
In this chaos, political intrigues arise, bandits crawl out of their holes and gruesome monsters emerge from slimy tar. In the midst of this chaos, Sam finds himself involuntarily caught in the middle of it all.
Delivering mail in a picturesque post-apocalypsic world is the gist of 'Death Stranding 2'.
As in the first game, Sam transports packages through a hauntingly beautiful post-apocalypse to expand his network and unite the remnants of humanity. Every job requires careful preparation: a truck or motorcycle for rough terrain, an exoskeleton for heavy loads, or climbing hooks for rappelling down a mountainside.
Almost every trip is a Herculean task. But it's not just snowstorms or earthquakes that provide the adrenaline rush; numerous enemies do too. Sometimes Sam has to sneak past spooky figures and infiltrate enemy bases. The boss battles, in which giant monsters suddenly appear, are spectacular and a bit chaotic.
After Sam has successfully delivered a package, he can look forward to rewards. The grateful customers provide him with new blueprints or equipment. Sam uses experience points for helpful abilities such as improved shooting efficiency or a battery boost for his vehicles.
The boss battles are spectacular and a little chaotic, with huge monsters suddenly appearing.
In his new adventure, Sam can even mine raw materials for his buildings or shorten transport routes using a rail network. He can also travel on a ship – "The Magellan" – to shorten routes.
The ship is not only a useful tool, but also has a crew, each of which carries a difficult fate with them, such as death or loneliness. However, the melancholy of these themes is repeatedly interrupted by ironic undertones.
Get help from other players
Sam can rely not only on his crew, but also, as in the first game, on the game community. While there's no traditional multiplayer mode where other players explore the world with Sam, he can request help with his builds or support in combat.
Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, Sam can build bridges and roads anywhere with a mobile construction kit.
This brings players closer together and opens up further opportunities for cooperation, which is a huge help, especially when building larger road projects.
Fans of the first game will quickly notice that Sam's new adventure has become faster-paced and more spectacular. While a package delivery trip across the mountains can take a frustratingly long time, players now have more options to make their life as a delivery driver easier.
The story isn't quite as confusing as its predecessor. Nevertheless, Kojima's mix of philosophical questions, brutal action and irony will still leave some players shaking their heads. The game is certainly full-on and comprehensive: you should allow for around 30 to 40 hours of gameplay.
Sam has a whole arsenal of weapons at his disposal to defend himself, including a machine gun.
Despite concessions to the mass market, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach remains a somewhat different kind of gaming blockbuster. Kojima and his development studio have created a grim portrait of our future, combining different genres into a unique adventure that's visually impressive and more diverse than its predecessor.
A great adventure for patient players who want to immerse themselves in unusual game worlds, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is out from June 26th exclusively for the PlayStation 5. It costs around €80/US$80 (RM299 in Malaysia) and is suitable for players aged 16 years and older. – dpa
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malaysian Reserve
2 hours ago
- Malaysian Reserve
China fund beats 97% of peers by buying Pop Mart, dumping Moutai
A 30-YEAR old Chinese fund manager is trouncing peers this year with a portfolio stocked with Gen Z-favored names like Pop Mart International Group, betting that new-age shopping trends can help his fund overcome the country's economic sluggishness. Xie Tianyuan's Penghua Selected Return Flexible Allocation Mixed Fund has returned 24% this year, ranking in the top 3% among roughly 2,300 peers, data from fund tracker East Money Information Co. show. That's a turnaround from its recent past when holdings in traditional sectors like alcoholic beverages and farming dragged performance. A gauge for Chinese stocks listed in Hong Kong has risen 20% this year. The Shenzhen-based fund manager, who took over early 2024, wasted little time in replacing what was then the fund's top holding Kweichow Moutai Co., a baijiu distiller, with the maker of smash-hit Labubu dolls, Pop Mart. His repositioning for the fund, which has about $7 million in assets under management, reflects how cultural shifts — brought on by digital influence and youth spending — are creating opportunities for Chinese investors navigating broader challenges in the world's second-largest economy. His conviction strengthened after witnessing the popularity of the toy maker's products in Thailand, which, he says, signaled 'non-linear growth with every metric showing breakout potential.' Growing up immersed in Japanese anime culture — his desk is adorned with Dragon Ball Z figurines — Xie said he developed an eye for identifying promising characters or designs, called 'IP brands,' by mixing personal fandom and online research. That he himself is demographically a member of Generation Z, the driving force behind China's new 'emotional spending' consumption trend, helps him understand what may resonate beyond advertising and go viral. 'Opportunities in the sector in the years to come will be on the single stock level as the population dividend comes to an end,' he said. 'I pick companies that have breakthrough products, new business models and innovative sales channels — products that are both visually appealing and fun.' His top pick, Pop Mart, accounted for 10.5% of the fund's total assets as of March, the top end of its maximum ownership in a single stock allowed, filings show. Other big bets include Mao Geping Cosmetics Co., up 83% this year, as well as Chongqing Baiya Sanitary Products Co., and Yantai China Pet Foods Co. Xie's strategy lies firmly in targeting the Gen Z consumption trend, where purchase decisions are driven by emotional triggers and hobby interest. Despite looming threats from Donald Trump's proposed tariff hikes, this behavioral change fueled rallies in pockets of China's stock market, especially after the momentum from artificial intelligence began to fade. Shares of the companies at the heart of this trend — including Pop Mart and Laopu Gold Co., known for distinctive gold pendants — have staged wild gains this year. Laopu is up more than 2,000% since its initial public offering in Hong Kong a year ago. The rally has expanded to include sectors like medical aesthetics, pet foods and even vape products. Another potential area for Xie: tapping into the rising popularity of sparkling yellow wine. 'The line between what is considered 'old' and 'new' consumption is blurring and more companies will join the new consumption pool once they realize that there's no future for them eking out a survival in their comfort zones,' Xie said. 'Even old trees can sprout new shoots.' Still, the consumption-driven rally is showing cracks. Pop Mart tumbled after a People's Daily commentary on June 20 that called for stricter regulation of 'blind-box' toys — products in sealed packaging designed to conceal content and induce surprise and greater desire to collect them. Laopu faces greater selling pressure after the lock-up period from its IPO expired Friday. Meanwhile, many Gen Z stocks are near or above their average price targets, and in turn, driving analysts to constantly find reasons to bump up their outlook. Xie acknowledged that valuations in the sector may be getting ahead of fundamentals, with some stocks already pricing in earnings three to five years ahead. Still, he remains overall bullish, particularly on the stocks he's heavily invested in. 'The gains may look incomprehensible to some people, but it's actually all rooted in earnings,' he says. 'Growth for some is underestimated, while others are just in the early stages of their life cycle.' –BLOOMBERG
The Star
11 hours ago
- The Star
Hong Kong DSE documentary star gets probation after second theft offence
A Hong Kong student who starred in a popular web documentary about secondary school public exams has been placed on probation after a court agreed to give him 'one last chance' following his second shoplifting offence in a year. Eastern Court accepted a probation officer's recommendation and handed Tang Ngai-hong a 12-month probation order on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to theft earlier this month. The 19-year-old admitted stealing a bag of fruit and two packets of potato chips worth a total of HK$61.80 (US$7.87) from the Fresh supermarket at Kornhill Plaza North in Quarry Bay on January 5. The offence took place just five months after Tang was fined HK$3,000 for stealing nearly HK$700 worth of food items from the Kowloon Bay branch of Japanese discount chain store Don Don Donki on May 8, 2024. Acting Principal Magistrate David Cheung Chi-wai said he would give Tang 'one last chance' given his timely plea. The defendant must maintain the peace and observe an array of conditions, including a requirement to attend psychological counselling sessions. Tang, now a first-year student at the University of Hong Kong School of Professional and Continuing Education, was the main subject of a documentary web series about the Diploma of Secondary Education examination by YouTube channel Trial and Error. The channel with 561,000 subscribers spent more than eight months in 2023 documenting Tang's journey through the university entrance exam. The 10-episode online series received overwhelmingly positive responses, with more than a million views on YouTube. The episodes were later re-edited into a full-length documentary feature titled Once Upon a Time in HKDSE , released in cinemas in July last year. It has raked in more than HK$5 million at the box office. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
'Death Stranding 2' review: The most unusual blockbuster in gaming is back
BERLIN: Clumsy, monotonous, ingenious: These were common reactions to 2019's Death Stranding by cult Japanese developer Hideo Kojima, who rose to world fame through the Metal Gear Solid series. It was an idiosyncratic adventure set in a dark world of tomorrow, in which players delivered packages and fought monsters accompanied by a soundtrack of ambient pop. It wasn't just a simple shoot-em-up, but often a test of patience. Six years on, the sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach , has arrived and seamlessly continues the game's unusual concept. Sam Porter Bridges, the hero of the first game, is back. Against the storm: Heavily laden, postman Sam makes his way through a ghost town. New dangers threaten humanity and Sam sets out from his self-imposed exile once again to fight evil. The setting has changed though: instead of North America, he's now exploring parts of Mexico and Australia. The problems, however, remain similar. Just like in his first adventure, he battles raging rivers, rugged terrain and snowstorms while enemies lurk everywhere. In On the Beach , the game world is the true hero of the story. Kojima and his developers tell the story of a future that has been almost destroyed by the undead. A world of chaos and monsters In this chaos, political intrigues arise, bandits crawl out of their holes and gruesome monsters emerge from slimy tar. In the midst of this chaos, Sam finds himself involuntarily caught in the middle of it all. Delivering mail in a picturesque post-apocalypsic world is the gist of 'Death Stranding 2'. As in the first game, Sam transports packages through a hauntingly beautiful post-apocalypse to expand his network and unite the remnants of humanity. Every job requires careful preparation: a truck or motorcycle for rough terrain, an exoskeleton for heavy loads, or climbing hooks for rappelling down a mountainside. Almost every trip is a Herculean task. But it's not just snowstorms or earthquakes that provide the adrenaline rush; numerous enemies do too. Sometimes Sam has to sneak past spooky figures and infiltrate enemy bases. The boss battles, in which giant monsters suddenly appear, are spectacular and a bit chaotic. After Sam has successfully delivered a package, he can look forward to rewards. The grateful customers provide him with new blueprints or equipment. Sam uses experience points for helpful abilities such as improved shooting efficiency or a battery boost for his vehicles. The boss battles are spectacular and a little chaotic, with huge monsters suddenly appearing. In his new adventure, Sam can even mine raw materials for his buildings or shorten transport routes using a rail network. He can also travel on a ship – "The Magellan" – to shorten routes. The ship is not only a useful tool, but also has a crew, each of which carries a difficult fate with them, such as death or loneliness. However, the melancholy of these themes is repeatedly interrupted by ironic undertones. Get help from other players Sam can rely not only on his crew, but also, as in the first game, on the game community. While there's no traditional multiplayer mode where other players explore the world with Sam, he can request help with his builds or support in combat. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, Sam can build bridges and roads anywhere with a mobile construction kit. This brings players closer together and opens up further opportunities for cooperation, which is a huge help, especially when building larger road projects. Fans of the first game will quickly notice that Sam's new adventure has become faster-paced and more spectacular. While a package delivery trip across the mountains can take a frustratingly long time, players now have more options to make their life as a delivery driver easier. The story isn't quite as confusing as its predecessor. Nevertheless, Kojima's mix of philosophical questions, brutal action and irony will still leave some players shaking their heads. The game is certainly full-on and comprehensive: you should allow for around 30 to 40 hours of gameplay. Sam has a whole arsenal of weapons at his disposal to defend himself, including a machine gun. Despite concessions to the mass market, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach remains a somewhat different kind of gaming blockbuster. Kojima and his development studio have created a grim portrait of our future, combining different genres into a unique adventure that's visually impressive and more diverse than its predecessor. A great adventure for patient players who want to immerse themselves in unusual game worlds, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is out from June 26th exclusively for the PlayStation 5. It costs around €80/US$80 (RM299 in Malaysia) and is suitable for players aged 16 years and older. – dpa
